HORTICULTURE. 249 



The abnormality known as '"sleepy flowers" is noted, and a test of 

 the effect of nitrogenous fertilizers on the prevalence of such flowers is 

 reported. !So very close relationship was found nbetween the amount 

 of nitrogen applied in the fertilizers and the number of " sleepy flowers" 

 produced. The author gives the following summary of the experiments 

 with carnations: 



"Carnations have been successfully raised by us in a soil composed of coal ashes 

 and moss peat with commercial fertilizers. The largest yield obtained was an aver- 

 age of 27.3 blooms per plant, or 3,384 blooms per 100 sq. ft. of bench space. The 

 average yield from 7 plats was 25 blooms per plant, or 2,703 per 100 sq. ft. This is an 

 average of Daybreaks and Alaskas, the William Scott variety being excluded from 

 the average. The blooms were of fair size, having an average diameter of 2.1 in. 



"The largest crop was gathered from the plat in which 40 gin. of nitrogen, 12 of 

 phosphoric acid, and 60 of potash were mixed with the ashes and peat. This is 

 equivalent to a dressing per 100 sq. ft. of bench space, of 3 lbs. 14 oz. of nitrate of 

 soda, 1 lb. 1 oz. of dissolved boneblack, and 1 lb. 13 oz. of muriate of potash. 



"The William Scott variety was badly affected by stem rot and bore many 

 'sleepy' buds. The Daybreak yielded about 20 per cent more bloom than the 

 Alaska variety, and during December, January, and February yielded twice as many. 



"There is no considerable difference in the percentage amount of nitrogen, phos- 

 phoric acid, and potash in the fresh-picked blossoms of the 3 varieties tested, the 

 average quantities being, nitrogen, 0.39 per cent, phosphoric acid, 0.15 per cent, 

 potash, 0.(38 per cent. Ten thousand Daybreak blooms weigh 191 lbs. and contain 12 

 oz. nitrogen, 5 oz. phosphoric acid, 1 lb. 5 oz. potash; 10,000 William Scott blooms 

 weigh 187 lbs. and contain 11.7 oz. nitrogen, 4.8 oz. phosphoric acid, 1 lb. 4.6 oz. 

 potash ; 10,000 Alaskas blooms weigh 134 lbs. and contain 8.3 oz. nitrogen, 3.4 oz. 

 phosphoric acid, and 14.8 oz. potash. 



"A single plat filled with the rich compost . . . did not yield as many blooms 

 as the mixture of ashes and peat." 



Radishes. — Cardinal Globe and French Breakfast radishes were 

 grown in ashes and peat and in rich compost, with the addition of 

 various fertilizers. Some of the plats were subirrigated and others 

 surface irrigated. Some of the seed was screened, the small seed being- 

 rejected, and some was planted without screening. On part of the 

 plats 3 crops were grown and on part 4 crops. In some cases the fer- 

 tilizer constituents removed in a crop were added to the soil before the 

 succeeding crop was started, aud in some cases no fertilizers were added 

 after the first crop. On part of the plats seed was sown between the 

 rows of half- grown plants in order to hasten the succeeding crop. 

 The fertilizers applied and the yield of radishes are given in tables. The 

 following summary is given : 



"By planting between the rows of the half-grown crop 4 crops can be obtained in 

 the time required to raise 3 crops by the usual method of planting. 



"There is very little, if any, advantage in subirrigation. In each case save one 

 the weights of the crops were slightly greater from the subirrigated plats, but there 

 was no perceptible difference in the quality of the radishes. 



"There was no difference in quality and appearance of the radishes grown in com- 

 post and in coal ashes and peat, but those grown in the last-named soil required one 

 or two weeks' less time to reach maturity. 



"The crop grown in coal ashes alone was below the average, both in appearance 

 and yield. 



